1
|
Marinelli F, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Conformational free-energy landscapes of a Na +/Ca 2+ exchanger explain its alternating-access mechanism and functional specificity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318009121. [PMID: 38588414 PMCID: PMC11032461 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318009121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Secondary-active transporters catalyze the movement of myriad substances across all cellular membranes, typically against opposing concentration gradients, and without consuming any ATP. To do so, these proteins employ an intriguing structural mechanism evolved to be activated only upon recognition or release of the transported species. We examine this self-regulated mechanism using a homolog of the cardiac Na+/Ca2+ exchanger as a model system. Using advanced computer simulations, we map out the complete functional cycle of this transporter, including unknown conformations that we validate against existing experimental data. Calculated free-energy landscapes reveal why this transporter functions as an antiporter rather than a symporter, why it specifically exchanges Na+ and Ca2+, and why the stoichiometry of this exchange is exactly 3:1. We also rationalize why the protein does not exchange H+ for either Ca2+ or Na+, despite being able to bind H+ and its high similarity with H+/Ca2+ exchangers. Interestingly, the nature of this transporter is not explained by its primary structural states, known as inward- and outward-open conformations; instead, the defining factor is the feasibility of conformational intermediates between those states, wherein access pathways leading to the substrate binding sites become simultaneously occluded from both sides of the membrane. This analysis offers a physically coherent, broadly transferable route to understand the emergence of function from structure among secondary-active membrane transporters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Marinelli
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20814
| | - José D. Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20814
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Davies JS, Currie MJ, Dobson RCJ, Horne CR, North RA. TRAPs: the 'elevator-with-an-operator' mechanism. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:134-144. [PMID: 38102017 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP) transporters are nutrient-uptake systems found in bacteria and archaea. These evolutionary divergent transporter systems couple a substrate-binding protein (SBP) to an elevator-type secondary transporter, which is a first-of-its-kind mechanism of transport. Here, we highlight breakthrough TRAP transporter structures and recent functional data that probe the mechanism of transport. Furthermore, we discuss recent structural and biophysical studies of the ion transporter superfamily (ITS) members and highlight mechanistic principles that are relevant for further exploration of the TRAP transporter system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James S Davies
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael J Currie
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
| | - Renwick C J Dobson
- Biomolecular Interaction Centre, Maurice Wilkins Centre for Biodiscovery, MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Christopher R Horne
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
| | - Rachel A North
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Drew D, Boudker O. Ion and lipid orchestration of secondary active transport. Nature 2024; 626:963-974. [PMID: 38418916 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07062-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Transporting small molecules across cell membranes is an essential process in cell physiology. Many structurally diverse, secondary active transporters harness transmembrane electrochemical gradients of ions to power the uptake or efflux of nutrients, signalling molecules, drugs and other ions across cell membranes. Transporters reside in lipid bilayers on the interface between two aqueous compartments, where they are energized and regulated by symported, antiported and allosteric ions on both sides of the membrane and the membrane bilayer itself. Here we outline the mechanisms by which transporters couple ion and solute fluxes and discuss how structural and mechanistic variations enable them to meet specific physiological needs and adapt to environmental conditions. We then consider how general bilayer properties and specific lipid binding modulate transporter activity. Together, ion gradients and lipid properties ensure the effective transport, regulation and distribution of small molecules across cell membranes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Drew
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Olga Boudker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Peter MF, Ruland JA, Kim Y, Hendricks P, Schneberger N, Siebrasse JP, Thomas GH, Kubitscheck U, Hagelueken G. Conformational coupling of the sialic acid TRAP transporter HiSiaQM with its substrate binding protein HiSiaP. Nat Commun 2024; 15:217. [PMID: 38191530 PMCID: PMC10774421 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44327-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP) transporters use an extra cytoplasmic substrate binding protein (SBP) to transport a wide variety of substrates in bacteria and archaea. The SBP can adopt an open- or closed state depending on the presence of substrate. The two transmembrane domains of TRAP transporters form a monomeric elevator whose function is strictly dependent on the presence of a sodium ion gradient. Insights from experimental structures, structural predictions and molecular modeling have suggested a conformational coupling between the membrane elevator and the substrate binding protein. Here, we use a disulfide engineering approach to lock the TRAP transporter HiSiaPQM from Haemophilus influenzae in different conformational states. The SBP, HiSiaP, is locked in its substrate-bound form and the transmembrane elevator, HiSiaQM, is locked in either its assumed inward- or outward-facing states. We characterize the disulfide-locked constructs and use single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to study their interactions. Our experiments demonstrate that the SBP and the transmembrane elevator are indeed conformationally coupled, meaning that the open and closed state of the SBP recognize specific conformational states of the transporter and vice versa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin F Peter
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 328, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan A Ruland
- Clausius Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstr. 12, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Yeojin Kim
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Philipp Hendricks
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Niels Schneberger
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan Peter Siebrasse
- Clausius Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstr. 12, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Department of Biology (Area 10), University of York, York, YO10 5YW, UK
| | - Ulrich Kubitscheck
- Clausius Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstr. 12, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gregor Hagelueken
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Geertsma ER, Oliver D. SLC26 Anion Transporters. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2024; 283:319-360. [PMID: 37947907 DOI: 10.1007/164_2023_698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Solute carrier family 26 (SLC26) is a family of functionally diverse anion transporters found in all kingdoms of life. Anions transported by SLC26 proteins include chloride, bicarbonate, and sulfate, but also small organic dicarboxylates such as fumarate and oxalate. The human genome encodes ten functional homologs, several of which are causally associated with severe human diseases, highlighting their physiological importance. Here, we review novel insights into the structure and function of SLC26 proteins and summarize the physiological relevance of human members.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Geertsma
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Dominik Oliver
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Marburg, Giessen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ernst M, Orabi EA, Stockbridge RB, Faraldo-Gómez JD, Robertson JL. Dimerization mechanism of an inverted-topology ion channel in membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2308454120. [PMID: 37956279 PMCID: PMC10666096 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308454120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Many ion channels are multisubunit complexes where oligomerization is an obligatory requirement for function as the binding axis forms the charged permeation pathway. However, the mechanisms of in-membrane assembly of thermodynamically stable channels are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate a key advance by reporting the dimerization equilibrium reaction of an inverted-topology, homodimeric fluoride channel Fluc in lipid bilayers. While the wild-type channel is a long-lived dimer, we leverage a known mutation, N43S, that weakens Na+ binding in a buried site at the interface, thereby unlocking the complex for reversible association in lipid bilayers. Single-channel recordings show that Na+ binding is required for fluoride conduction while single-molecule microscopy experiments demonstrate that N43S Fluc exists in a dynamic monomer-dimer equilibrium in the membrane, even following removal of Na+. Quantifying the thermodynamic stability while titrating Na+ indicates that dimerization occurs first, providing a membrane-embedded binding site where Na+ binding weakly stabilizes the complex. To understand how these subunits form stable assemblies while presenting charged surfaces to the membrane, we carried out molecular dynamics simulations, which show the formation of a thinned membrane defect around the exposed dimerization interface. In simulations where subunits are permitted to encounter each other while preventing protein contacts, we observe spontaneous and selective association at the native interface, where stability is achieved by mitigation of the membrane defect. These results suggest a model wherein membrane-associated forces drive channel assembly in the native orientation while subsequent factors, such as Na+ binding, result in channel activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Ernst
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| | - Esam A. Orabi
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Section, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20894
| | - Randy B. Stockbridge
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI48109
| | - José D. Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Section, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD20894
| | - Janice L. Robertson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO63110
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fiorin G, Forrest LR, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Membrane free-energy landscapes derived from atomistic dynamics explain nonuniversal cholesterol-induced stiffening. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad269. [PMID: 37637198 PMCID: PMC10456217 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
All lipid membranes have inherent morphological preferences and resist deformation. Yet adaptations in membrane shape can and do occur at multiple length scales. While this plasticity is crucial for cellular physiology, the factors controlling the morphological energetics of lipid bilayers and the dominant mechanisms of membrane remodeling remain to be fully understood. An ongoing debate regarding the universality of the stiffening effect of cholesterol underscores the challenges facing this field, both experimentally and theoretically, even for simple lipid mixtures. On the computational side, we have argued that enhanced-sampling all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are uniquely suited for the quantification of membrane conformational energetics, as they minimize a priori assumptions and permit analysis of bilayers in deformed states. To showcase this approach, we examine reported inconsistencies between alternative experimental measurements of bending moduli for cholesterol-enriched membranes. Specifically, we analyze lipid bilayers with different chain saturation and compute free-energy landscapes for curvature deformations distributed over areas from ∼5 to ∼60 nm2 . These enhanced simulations, totaling over 100 μs of sampling time, enable us to directly quantify both bending and tilt moduli and to dissect the contributing factors and molecular mechanisms of curvature generation at each length scale. Our results show that the effects of cholesterol on bending rigidity are lipid-specific and suggest that this specificity arises from differences in the torsional dynamics of the acyl chains. In summary, we demonstrate that quantitative relationships can now be established between lipid structure and bending energetics, paving the way for addressing open fundamental questions in cell membrane mechanics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Fiorin
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Zheng B, Xiao Y, Tong B, Mao Y, Ge R, Tian F, Dong X, Zheng P. S373P Mutation Stabilizes the Receptor-Binding Domain of the Spike Protein in Omicron and Promotes Binding. JACS AU 2023; 3:1902-1910. [PMID: 37502147 PMCID: PMC10369413 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
A cluster of several newly occurring mutations on Omicron is found at the β-core region of the spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD), where mutation rarely happened before. Notably, the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to human receptor ACE2 via RBD happens in a dynamic airway environment, where mechanical force caused by coughing or sneezing occurs. Thus, we used atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS) to measure the stability of RBDs and found that the mechanical stability of Omicron RBD increased by ∼20% compared with the wild type. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that Omicron RBD showed more hydrogen bonds in the β-core region due to the closing of the α-helical motif caused primarily by the S373P mutation. In addition to a higher unfolding force, we showed a higher dissociation force between Omicron RBD and ACE2. This work reveals the mechanically stabilizing effect of the conserved mutation S373P for Omicron and the possible evolution trend of the β-core region of RBD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zheng
- State
Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine
Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Yuelong Xiao
- State
Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine
Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Bei Tong
- Institute
of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210014, China
| | - Yutong Mao
- State
Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine
Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Rui Ge
- State
Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine
Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Fang Tian
- State
Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine
Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Xianchi Dong
- State
Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
- Engineering
Research Center of Protein and Peptide Medicine, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Peng Zheng
- State
Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine
Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Peyear TA, Andersen OS. Screening for bilayer-active and likely cytotoxic molecules reveals bilayer-mediated regulation of cell function. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202213247. [PMID: 36763053 PMCID: PMC9948646 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202213247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A perennial problem encountered when using small molecules (drugs) to manipulate cell or protein function is to assess whether observed changes in function result from specific interactions with a desired target or from less specific off-target mechanisms. This is important in laboratory research as well as in drug development, where the goal is to identify molecules that are unlikely to be successful therapeutics early in the process, thereby avoiding costly mistakes. We pursued this challenge from the perspective that many bioactive molecules (drugs) are amphiphiles that alter lipid bilayer elastic properties, which may cause indiscriminate changes in membrane protein (and cell) function and, in turn, cytotoxicity. Such drug-induced changes in bilayer properties can be quantified as changes in the monomer↔dimer equilibrium for bilayer-spanning gramicidin channels. Using this approach, we tested whether molecules in the Pathogen Box (a library of 400 drugs and drug-like molecules with confirmed activity against tropical diseases released by Medicines for Malaria Venture to encourage the development of therapies for neglected tropical diseases) are bilayer modifiers. 32% of the molecules in the Pathogen Box were bilayer modifiers, defined as molecules that at 10 µM shifted the monomer↔dimer equilibrium toward the conducting dimers by at least 50%. Correlation analysis of the molecules' reported HepG2 cell cytotoxicity to bilayer-modifying potency, quantified as the shift in the gramicidin monomer↔dimer equilibrium, revealed that molecules producing <25% change in the equilibrium had significantly lower probability of being cytotoxic than molecules producing >50% change. Neither cytotoxicity nor bilayer-modifying potency (quantified as the shift in the gramicidin monomer↔dimer equilibrium) was well predicted by conventional physico-chemical descriptors (hydrophobicity, polar surface area, etc.). We conclude that drug-induced changes in lipid bilayer properties are robust predictors of the likelihood of membrane-mediated off-target effects, including cytotoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thasin A. Peyear
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate Program in Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. New York, NY, USA
| | - Olaf S. Andersen
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Fiorin G, Forrest LR, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Membrane free-energy landscapes derived from atomistic dynamics explain nonuniversal cholesterol-induced stiffening. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.02.525347. [PMID: 36778237 PMCID: PMC9915699 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.02.525347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
All lipid membranes have inherent morphological preferences and resist deformation. Yet adaptations in membrane shape can and do occur at multiple length scales. While this plasticity is crucial for cellular physiology, the factors controlling the morphological energetics of lipid bilayers and the dominant mechanisms of membrane remodeling remain unclear. An ongoing debate regarding the universality of the stiffening effect of cholesterol underscores the challenges facing this field, both experimentally and theoretically, even for simple lipid mixtures. On the computational side, we have argued that enhanced- sampling all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are uniquely suited for quantification of membrane conformational energetics, not only because they minimize a-priori assumptions, but also because they permit analysis of bilayers in deformed states. To showcase this approach, we examine reported inconsistencies between alternative experimental measurements of bending moduli for cholesterol-enriched membranes. Specifically, we analyze lipid bilayers with different chain saturation, and compute free-energy landscapes for curvature deformations distributed over areas from ∼5 to ∼60 nm 2 . These enhanced simulations, totaling over 100 microseconds of sampling time, enable us to directly quantify both bending and tilt moduli, and to dissect the contributing factors and molecular mechanisms of curvature generation at each length scale. Our results show that cholesterol effects are lipid-specific, in agreement with giantvesicle measurements, and explain why experiments probing nanometer scale lipid dynamics diverge. In summary, we demonstrate that quantitative structure-mechanics relationships can now be established for heterogenous membranes, paving the way for addressing open fundamental questions in cell membrane mechanics. Significance Elucidating the energetics and mechanisms of membrane remodeling is an essential step towards understanding cell physiology. This problem is challenging, however, because membrane bending involves both large-scale and atomic-level dynamics, which are difficult to measure simultaneously. A recent controversy regarding the stiffening effect of cholesterol, which is ubiquitous in animal cells, illustrates this challenge. We show how enhanced molecular-dynamics simulations can bridge this length-scale gap and reconcile seemingly incongruent observations. This approach facilitates a conceptual connection between lipid chemistry and membrane mechanics, thereby providing a solid basis for future research on remodeling phenomena, such as in membrane trafficking or viral infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Fiorin
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Park YC, Reddy B, Bavi N, Perozo E, Faraldo-Gómez JD. State-specific morphological deformations of the lipid bilayer explain mechanosensitive gating of MscS ion channels. eLife 2023; 12:81445. [PMID: 36715097 PMCID: PMC9925053 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The force-from-lipids hypothesis of cellular mechanosensation posits that membrane channels open and close in response to changes in the physical state of the lipid bilayer, induced for example by lateral tension. Here, we investigate the molecular basis for this transduction mechanism by studying the mechanosensitive ion channel MscS from Escherichia coli and its eukaryotic homolog MSL1 from Arabidopsis thaliana. First, we use single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to determine the structure of a novel open conformation of wild-type MscS, stabilized in a thinned lipid nanodisc. Compared with the closed state, the structure shows a reconfiguration of helices TM1, TM2, and TM3a, and widening of the central pore. Based on these structures, we examined how the morphology of the membrane is altered upon gating, using molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations reveal that closed-state MscS causes drastic protrusions in the inner leaflet of the lipid bilayer, both in the absence and presence of lateral tension, and for different lipid compositions. These deformations arise to provide adequate solvation to hydrophobic crevices under the TM1-TM2 hairpin, and clearly reflect a high-energy conformation for the membrane, particularly under tension. Strikingly, these protrusions are largely eradicated upon channel opening. An analogous computational study of open and closed MSL1 recapitulates these findings. The gating equilibrium of MscS channels thus appears to be dictated by opposing conformational preferences, namely those of the lipid membrane and of the protein structure. We propose a membrane deformation model of mechanosensation, which posits that tension shifts the gating equilibrium towards the conductive state not because it alters the mode in which channel and lipids interact, but because it increases the energetic cost of the morphological perturbations in the membrane required by the closed state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yein Christina Park
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Bharat Reddy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Navid Bavi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Eduardo Perozo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - José D Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ernst M, Orabi EA, Stockbridge RB, Faraldo-Gómez JD, Robertson JL. Dimerization mechanism of an inverted-topology ion channel in membranes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.27.525942. [PMID: 36789410 PMCID: PMC9928038 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.27.525942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Many ion channels are multi-subunit complexes with a polar permeation pathway at the oligomeric interface, but their mechanisms of assembly into functional, thermodynamically stable units within the membrane are largely unknown. Here we characterize the assembly of the inverted-topology, homodimeric fluoride channel Fluc, leveraging a known mutation, N43S, that weakens Na + binding to the dimer interface, thereby unlocking the complex. While single-channel recordings show Na + is required for activation, single-molecule photobleaching and bulk Förster Resonance Energy Transfer experiments in lipid bilayers demonstrate that N43S Fluc monomers and dimers exist in dynamic equilibrium, even without Na + . Molecular dynamics simulations indicate this equilibrium is dominated by a differential in the lipid-solvation energetics of monomer and dimer, which stems from hydrophobic exposure of the polar ion pathway in the monomer. These results suggest a model wherein membrane-associated forces induce channel assembly while subsequent factors, in this case Na + binding, result in channel activation. Teaser Membrane morphology energetics foster inverted-topology Fluc channels to form dimers, which then become active upon Na + binding.
Collapse
|
13
|
Ozturk TN, Coumoundouros C, Culham DE, Wood JM. Structural Determinants and Functional Significance of Dimerization for Osmosensing Transporter ProP in Escherichia coli. Biochemistry 2023; 62:118-133. [PMID: 36516499 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Osmosensing transporter ProP forestalls cellular dehydration by detecting environments with high osmotic pressure and mediating the accumulation of organic osmolytes by bacterial cells. It is composed of 12 transmembrane helices with cytoplasmic N- and C-termini. In Escherichia coli, dimers form when the C-terminal domains of ProP molecules form homodimeric, antiparallel, α-helical coiled coils. No dominant negative effect was detected when inactive and active ProP molecules formed heterodimers in vivo. Purification of ProP in detergent dodecylmaltoside yielded monomers, which were functional after reconstitution in proteoliposomes. With other evidence, this suggests that ProP monomers function independently whether in the monomeric or dimeric state. Amino acid replacements that disrupted or reversed the coiled coil did not prevent in vivo dimerization of ProP detected with a bacterial two-hybrid system. Maleimide labeling detected no osmolality-dependent variation in the reactivities of cysteine residues introduced to transmembrane helix (TM) XII. In contrast, coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations detected deformation of the lipid around TMs III and VI, on the lipid-exposed protein surface opposite to TM XII. This suggests that the dimer interface of ProP includes the surfaces of TMs III and VI, not of TM XII as previously suggested by crosslinking data. Homology modeling suggested that coiled-coil formation and dimerization via such an interface are not mutually exclusive. In previous work, alterations to the C-terminal coiled coil blocked co-localization of ProP with phospholipid cardiolipin at E. coli cell poles. Thus, dimerization may contribute to ProP targeting, adjust its lipid environment, and hence indirectly modify its osmotic stress response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tugba N Ozturk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, Missouri63110, United States.,Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland20814, United States
| | - Chelsea Coumoundouros
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaN1G 2 W1
| | - Doreen E Culham
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaN1G 2 W1
| | - Janet M Wood
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, CanadaN1G 2 W1
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Marrink SJ, Monticelli L, Melo MN, Alessandri R, Tieleman DP, Souza PCT. Two decades of Martini: Better beads, broader scope. WIRES COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Luca Monticelli
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB ‐ UMR 5086) CNRS & University of Lyon Lyon France
| | - Manuel N. Melo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa Oeiras Portugal
| | - Riccardo Alessandri
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
| | - D. Peter Tieleman
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Paulo C. T. Souza
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB ‐ UMR 5086) CNRS & University of Lyon Lyon France
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Chen I, Wu Q, Font J, Ryan RM. The twisting elevator mechanism of glutamate transporters reveals the structural basis for the dual transport-channel functions. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 75:102405. [PMID: 35709614 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate transporters facilitate the removal of this excitatory neurotransmitter from the synapse. Increasing evidence indicates that this process is linked to intrinsic chloride channel activity that is thermodynamically uncoupled from substrate transport. A recent cryo-EM structure of GltPh - an archaeal homolog of the glutamate transporters - in an open channel state has shed light on the structural basis for channel opening formed at the interface of two domains within the transporter which is gated by two clusters of hydrophobic residues. These transporters cycle through several conformational states during the transport process, including the chloride conducting state, which appears to be stabilised by protein-membrane interactions and membrane deformation. Several point mutations that perturb the chloride conductance can have detrimental effects and are linked to the pathogenesis of the neurological disorder, episodic ataxia type 6.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ichia Chen
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Qianyi Wu
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Josep Font
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Renae M Ryan
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Thermostability-based binding assays reveal complex interplay of cation, substrate and lipid binding in the bacterial DASS transporter, VcINDY. Biochem J 2021; 478:3847-3867. [PMID: 34643224 PMCID: PMC8652582 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The divalent anion sodium symporter (DASS) family of transporters (SLC13 family in humans) are key regulators of metabolic homeostasis, disruption of which results in protection from diabetes and obesity, and inhibition of liver cancer cell proliferation. Thus, DASS transporter inhibitors are attractive targets in the treatment of chronic, age-related metabolic diseases. The characterisation of several DASS transporters has revealed variation in the substrate selectivity and flexibility in the coupling ion used to power transport. Here, using the model DASS co-transporter, VcINDY from Vibrio cholerae, we have examined the interplay of the three major interactions that occur during transport: the coupling ion, the substrate, and the lipid environment. Using a series of high-throughput thermostability-based interaction assays, we have shown that substrate binding is Na+-dependent; a requirement that is orchestrated through a combination of electrostatic attraction and Na+-induced priming of the binding site architecture. We have identified novel DASS ligands and revealed that ligand binding is dominated by the requirement of two carboxylate groups in the ligand that are precisely distanced to satisfy carboxylate interaction regions of the substrate-binding site. We have also identified a complex relationship between substrate and lipid interactions, which suggests a dynamic, regulatory role for lipids in VcINDY's transport cycle.
Collapse
|
17
|
Shekhar M, Terashi G, Gupta C, Sarkar D, Debussche G, Sisco NJ, Nguyen J, Mondal A, Vant J, Fromme P, Van Horn WD, Tajkhorshid E, Kihara D, Dill K, Perez A, Singharoy A. CryoFold: determining protein structures and data-guided ensembles from cryo-EM density maps. MATTER 2021; 4:3195-3216. [PMID: 35874311 PMCID: PMC9302471 DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (EM) requires molecular modeling to refine structural details from data. Ensemble models arrive at low free-energy molecular structures, but are computationally expensive and limited to resolving only small proteins that cannot be resolved by cryo-EM. Here, we introduce CryoFold - a pipeline of molecular dynamics simulations that determines ensembles of protein structures directly from sequence by integrating density data of varying sparsity at 3-5 Å resolution with coarse-grained topological knowledge of the protein folds. We present six examples showing its broad applicability for folding proteins between 72 to 2000 residues, including large membrane and multi-domain systems, and results from two EMDB competitions. Driven by data from a single state, CryoFold discovers ensembles of common low-energy models together with rare low-probability structures that capture the equilibrium distribution of proteins constrained by the density maps. Many of these conformations, unseen by traditional methods, are experimentally validated and functionally relevant. We arrive at a set of best practices for data-guided protein folding that are controlled using a Python GUI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mrinal Shekhar
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, Department of Biochemistry, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Genki Terashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Chitrak Gupta
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Daipayan Sarkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Gaspard Debussche
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Grenoble INP, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Nicholas J Sisco
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- The Biodesign Institute Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jonathan Nguyen
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Arup Mondal
- Chemistry Department, Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - John Vant
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Petra Fromme
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Wade D Van Horn
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- The Biodesign Institute Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, Department of Biochemistry, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Daisuke Kihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Ken Dill
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - Alberto Perez
- Chemistry Department, Quantum Theory Project, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Abhishek Singharoy
- The School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- The Biodesign Institute Center for Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tian F, Tong B, Sun L, Shi S, Zheng B, Wang Z, Dong X, Zheng P. N501Y mutation of spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 strengthens its binding to receptor ACE2. eLife 2021; 10:e69091. [PMID: 34414884 PMCID: PMC8455130 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has been spreading around the world for the past year. Recently, several variants such as B.1.1.7 (alpha), B.1.351 (beta), and P.1 (gamma), which share a key mutation N501Y on the receptor-binding domain (RBD), appear to be more infectious to humans. To understand the underlying mechanism, we used a cell surface-binding assay, a kinetics study, a single-molecule technique, and a computational method to investigate the interaction between these RBD (mutations) and ACE2. Remarkably, RBD with the N501Y mutation exhibited a considerably stronger interaction, with a faster association rate and a slower dissociation rate. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule force microscopy (SMFS) consistently quantified the interaction strength of RBD with the mutation as having increased binding probability and requiring increased unbinding force. Molecular dynamics simulations of RBD-ACE2 complexes indicated that the N501Y mutation introduced additional π-π and π-cation interactions that could explain the changes observed by force microscopy. Taken together, these results suggest that the reinforced RBD-ACE2 interaction that results from the N501Y mutation in the RBD should play an essential role in the higher rate of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and that future mutations in the RBD of the virus should be under surveillance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Bei Tong
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Liang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Shengchao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Bin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Zibin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xianchi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
- Engineering Research Center of Protein and Peptide Medicine, Ministry of EducationNanjingChina
| | - Peng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chew TA, Zhang J, Feng L. High-Resolution Views and Transport Mechanisms of the NKCC1 and KCC Transporters. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167056. [PMID: 34022207 PMCID: PMC9722358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cation-chloride cotransporters (CCCs) are responsible for the coupled co-transport of Cl- with K+ and/or Na+ in an electroneutral manner. They play important roles in myriad fundamental physiological processes--from cell volume regulation to transepithelial solute transport and intracellular ion homeostasis--and are targeted by medicines commonly prescribed to treat hypertension and edema. After several decades of studies into the functions and pharmacology of these transporters, there have been several breakthroughs in the structural determination of CCC transporters. The insights provided by these new structures for the Na+/K+/Cl- cotransporter NKCC1 and the K+/Cl- cotransporters KCC1, KCC2, KCC3 and KCC4 have deepened our understanding of their molecular basis and transport function. This focused review discusses recent advances in the structural and mechanistic understanding of CCC transporters, including architecture, dimerization, functional roles of regulatory domains, ion binding sites, and coupled ion transport.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Chew
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jinru Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Liang Feng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Ernst M, Robertson JL. The Role of the Membrane in Transporter Folding and Activity. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167103. [PMID: 34139219 PMCID: PMC8756397 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The synthesis, folding, and function of membrane transport proteins are critical factors for defining cellular physiology. Since the stability of these proteins evolved amidst the lipid bilayer, it is no surprise that we are finding that many of these membrane proteins demonstrate coupling of their structure or activity in some way to the membrane. More and more transporter structures are being determined with some information about the surrounding membrane, and computational modeling is providing further molecular details about these solvation structures. Thus, the field is moving towards identifying which molecular mechanisms - lipid interactions, membrane perturbations, differential solvation, and bulk membrane effects - are involved in linking membrane energetics to transporter stability and function. In this review, we present an overview of these mechanisms and the growing evidence that the lipid bilayer is a major determinant of the fold, form, and function of membrane transport proteins in membranes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Ernst
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Janice L Robertson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
The Groovy TMEM16 Family: Molecular Mechanisms of Lipid Scrambling and Ion Conduction. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166941. [PMID: 33741412 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The TMEM16 family of membrane proteins displays a remarkable functional dichotomy - while some family members function as Ca2+-activated anion channels, the majority of characterized TMEM16 homologs are Ca2+-activated lipid scramblases, which catalyze the exchange of phospholipids between the two membrane leaflets. Furthermore, some TMEM16 scramblases can also function as channels. Due to their involvement in important physiological processes, the family has been actively studied ever since their molecular identity was unraveled. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances in the field and how they influenced our view of TMEM16 family function and evolution. Structural, functional and computational studies reveal how relatively small rearrangements in the permeation pathway are responsible for the observed functional duality: while TMEM16 scramblases can adopt both ion- and lipid conductive conformations, TMEM16 channels can only populate the former. Recent data further provides the molecular details of a stepwise activation mechanism, which is initiated by Ca2+ binding and modulated by various cellular factors, including lipids. TMEM16 function and the surrounding membrane properties are inextricably intertwined, with the protein inducing bilayer deformations associated with scrambling, while the surrounding lipids modulate TMEM16 conformation and activity.
Collapse
|
22
|
Chen I, Pant S, Wu Q, Cater R, Sobti M, Vandenberg R, Stewart AG, Tajkhorshid E, Font J, Ryan R. Glutamate transporters have a chloride channel with two hydrophobic gates. Nature 2021; 591:327-331. [PMID: 33597752 PMCID: PMC7954978 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03240-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and its precise control is vital to maintain normal brain function and to prevent excitotoxicity1. The removal of extracellular glutamate is achieved by plasma-membrane-bound transporters, which couple glutamate transport to sodium, potassium and pH gradients using an elevator mechanism2-5. Glutamate transporters also conduct chloride ions by means of a channel-like process that is thermodynamically uncoupled from transport6-8. However, the molecular mechanisms that enable these dual-function transporters to carry out two seemingly contradictory roles are unknown. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of a glutamate transporter homologue in an open-channel state, which reveals an aqueous cavity that is formed during the glutamate transport cycle. The functional properties of this cavity, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, reveal it to be an aqueous-accessible chloride permeation pathway that is gated by two hydrophobic regions and is conserved across mammalian and archaeal glutamate transporters. Our findings provide insight into the mechanism by which glutamate transporters support their dual function, and add information that will assist in mapping the complete transport cycle shared by the solute carrier 1A transporter family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ichia Chen
- Transporter Biology Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shashank Pant
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Qianyi Wu
- Transporter Biology Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rosemary Cater
- Transporter Biology Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Meghna Sobti
- Molecular, Structural and Computational Biology Division, The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.,St Vincent’s Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Robert Vandenberg
- Transporter Biology Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alastair G. Stewart
- Molecular, Structural and Computational Biology Division, The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.,St Vincent’s Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Biochemistry, and Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA, Corresponding authors: Emad Tajkhorshid (), Josep Font (), Renae Ryan ()
| | - Josep Font
- Transporter Biology Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia, Corresponding authors: Emad Tajkhorshid (), Josep Font (), Renae Ryan ()
| | - Renae Ryan
- Transporter Biology Group, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia, Corresponding authors: Emad Tajkhorshid (), Josep Font (), Renae Ryan ()
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Elevator-type mechanisms of membrane transport. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:1227-1241. [PMID: 32369548 PMCID: PMC7329351 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Membrane transporters are integral membrane proteins that mediate the passage of solutes across lipid bilayers. These proteins undergo conformational transitions between outward- and inward-facing states, which lead to alternating access of the substrate-binding site to the aqueous environment on either side of the membrane. Dozens of different transporter families have evolved, providing a wide variety of structural solutions to achieve alternating access. A sub-set of structurally diverse transporters operate by mechanisms that are collectively named 'elevator-type'. These transporters have one common characteristic: they contain a distinct protein domain that slides across the membrane as a rigid body, and in doing so it 'drags" the transported substrate along. Analysis of the global conformational changes that take place in membrane transporters using elevator-type mechanisms reveals that elevator-type movements can be achieved in more than one way. Molecular dynamics simulations and experimental data help to understand how lipid bilayer properties may affect elevator movements and vice versa.
Collapse
|
24
|
Zhou W, Trinco G, Slotboom DJ, Forrest LR, Faraldo-Gómez JD. On the Role of a Conserved Methionine in the Na +-Coupling Mechanism of a Neurotransmitter Transporter Homolog. Neurochem Res 2021; 47:163-175. [PMID: 33565025 PMCID: PMC8431971 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03253-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT) play a key role in glutamatergic synaptic communication. Driven by transmembrane cation gradients, these transporters catalyze the reuptake of glutamate from the synaptic cleft once this neurotransmitter has been utilized for signaling. Two decades ago, pioneering studies in the Kanner lab identified a conserved methionine within the transmembrane domain as key for substrate turnover rate and specificity; later structural work, particularly for the prokaryotic homologs GltPh and GltTk, revealed that this methionine is involved in the coordination of one of the three Na+ ions that are co-transported with the substrate. Albeit extremely atypical, the existence of this interaction is consistent with biophysical analyses of GltPh showing that mutations of this methionine diminish the binding cooperativity between substrates and Na+. It has been unclear, however, whether this intriguing methionine influences the thermodynamics of the transport reaction, i.e., its substrate:ion stoichiometry, or whether it simply fosters a specific kinetics in the binding reaction, which, while influential for the turnover rate, do not fundamentally explain the ion-coupling mechanism of this class of transporters. Here, studies of GltTk using experimental and computational methods independently arrive at the conclusion that the latter hypothesis is the most plausible, and lay the groundwork for future efforts to uncover the underlying mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenchang Zhou
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gianluca Trinco
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Slotboom
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- Computational Structural Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - José D Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Sampson CDD, Stewart MJ, Mindell JA, Mulligan C. Solvent accessibility changes in a Na +-dependent C 4-dicarboxylate transporter suggest differential substrate effects in a multistep mechanism. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:18524-18538. [PMID: 33087444 PMCID: PMC7939474 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The divalent anion sodium symporter (DASS) family (SLC13) plays critical roles in metabolic homeostasis, influencing many processes, including fatty acid synthesis, insulin resistance, and adiposity. DASS transporters catalyze the Na+-driven concentrative uptake of Krebs cycle intermediates and sulfate into cells; disrupting their function can protect against age-related metabolic diseases and can extend lifespan. An inward-facing crystal structure and an outward-facing model of a bacterial DASS family member, VcINDY from Vibrio cholerae, predict an elevator-like transport mechanism involving a large rigid body movement of the substrate-binding site. How substrate binding influences the conformational state of VcINDY is currently unknown. Here, we probe the interaction between substrate binding and protein conformation by monitoring substrate-induced solvent accessibility changes of broadly distributed positions in VcINDY using a site-specific alkylation strategy. Our findings reveal that accessibility to all positions tested is modulated by the presence of substrates, with the majority becoming less accessible in the presence of saturating concentrations of both Na+ and succinate. We also observe separable effects of Na+ and succinate binding at several positions suggesting distinct effects of the two substrates. Furthermore, accessibility changes to a solely succinate-sensitive position suggests that substrate binding is a low-affinity, ordered process. Mapping these accessibility changes onto the structures of VcINDY suggests that Na+ binding drives the transporter into an as-yet-unidentified conformational state, involving rearrangement of the substrate-binding site-associated re-entrant hairpin loops. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of VcINDY, which is currently the only structurally characterized representative of the entire DASS family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Connor D D Sampson
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Stewart
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph A Mindell
- Membrane Transport Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, NINDS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Vant JW, Sarkar D, Streitwieser E, Fiorin G, Skeel R, Vermaas JV, Singharoy A. Data-guided Multi-Map variables for ensemble refinement of molecular movies. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:214102. [PMID: 33291927 PMCID: PMC7714525 DOI: 10.1063/5.0022433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Driving molecular dynamics simulations with data-guided collective variables offer a promising strategy to recover thermodynamic information from structure-centric experiments. Here, the three-dimensional electron density of a protein, as it would be determined by cryo-EM or x-ray crystallography, is used to achieve simultaneously free-energy costs of conformational transitions and refined atomic structures. Unlike previous density-driven molecular dynamics methodologies that determine only the best map-model fits, our work employs the recently developed Multi-Map methodology to monitor concerted movements within equilibrium, non-equilibrium, and enhanced sampling simulations. Construction of all-atom ensembles along the chosen values of the Multi-Map variable enables simultaneous estimation of average properties, as well as real-space refinement of the structures contributing to such averages. Using three proteins of increasing size, we demonstrate that biased simulation along the reaction coordinates derived from electron densities can capture conformational transitions between known intermediates. The simulated pathways appear reversible with minimal hysteresis and require only low-resolution density information to guide the transition. The induced transitions also produce estimates for free energy differences that can be directly compared to experimental observables and population distributions. The refined model quality is superior compared to those found in the Protein Data Bank. We find that the best quantitative agreement with experimental free-energy differences is obtained using medium resolution density information coupled to comparatively large structural transitions. Practical considerations for probing the transitions between multiple intermediate density states are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John W. Vant
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
| | | | - Ellen Streitwieser
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
| | - Giacomo Fiorin
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Robert Skeel
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
| | - Josh V. Vermaas
- Computing and Computational Sciences Directorate, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, USA
| | - Abhishek Singharoy
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Jeckelmann JM, Erni B. The mannose phosphotransferase system (Man-PTS) - Mannose transporter and receptor for bacteriocins and bacteriophages. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183412. [PMID: 32710850 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mannose transporters constitute a superfamily (Man-PTS) of the Phosphoenolpyruvate Carbohydrate Phosphotransferase System (PTS). The membrane complexes are homotrimers of protomers consisting of two subunits, IIC and IID. The two subunits without recognizable sequence similarity assume the same fold, and in the protomer are structurally related by a two fold pseudosymmetry axis parallel to membrane-plane (Liu et al. (2019) Cell Research 29 680). Two reentrant loops and two transmembrane helices of each subunit together form the N-terminal transport domain. Two three-helix bundles, one of each subunit, form the scaffold domain. The protomer is stabilized by a helix swap between these bundles. The two C-terminal helices of IIC mediate the interprotomer contacts. PTS occur in bacteria and archaea but not in eukaryotes. Man-PTS are abundant in Gram-positive bacteria living on carbohydrate rich mucosal surfaces. A subgroup of IICIID complexes serve as receptors for class IIa bacteriocins and as channel for the penetration of bacteriophage lambda DNA across the inner membrane. Some Man-PTS are associated with host-pathogen and -symbiont processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Marc Jeckelmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Bernhard Erni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Matin TR, Heath GR, Huysmans GHM, Boudker O, Scheuring S. Millisecond dynamics of an unlabeled amino acid transporter. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5016. [PMID: 33024106 PMCID: PMC7538599 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18811-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) are important in many physiological processes and crucial for the removal of excitatory amino acids from the synaptic cleft. Here, we develop and apply high-speed atomic force microscopy line-scanning (HS-AFM-LS) combined with automated state assignment and transition analysis for the determination of transport dynamics of unlabeled membrane-reconstituted GltPh, a prokaryotic EAAT homologue, with millisecond temporal resolution. We find that GltPh transporters can operate much faster than previously reported, with state dwell-times in the 50 ms range, and report the kinetics of an intermediate transport state with height between the outward- and inward-facing states. Transport domains stochastically probe transmembrane motion, and reversible unsuccessful excursions to the intermediate state occur. The presented approach and analysis methodology are generally applicable to study transporter kinetics at system-relevant temporal resolution. Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) are crucial for the removal of excitatory amino acids from the synaptic cleft. Here authors combined high-speed atomic force microscopy line-scanning with automated state assignment for the determination of transport dynamics of GltPh, a prokaryotic EAAT homologue, with millisecond temporal resolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tina R Matin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - George R Heath
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Gerard H M Huysmans
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Olga Boudker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Simon Scheuring
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA. .,Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Haapanen O, Reidelbach M, Sharma V. Coupling of quinone dynamics to proton pumping in respiratory complex I. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2020; 1861:148287. [PMID: 32777307 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory complex I (NADH:quinone oxidoreductase) plays a central role in generating the proton electrochemical gradient in mitochondrial and bacterial membranes, which is needed to generate ATP. Several high-resolution structures of complex I have been determined, revealing its intricate architecture and complementing the biochemical and biophysical studies. However, the molecular mechanism of long-range coupling between ubiquinone (Q) reduction and proton pumping is not known. Computer simulations have been applied to decipher the dynamics of Q molecule in the ~30 Å long Q tunnel. In this short report, we discuss the binding and dynamics of Q at computationally predicted Q binding sites, many of which are supported by structural data on complex I. We suggest that the binding of Q at these sites is coupled to proton pumping by means of conformational rearrangements in the conserved loops of core subunits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Outi Haapanen
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Vivek Sharma
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland; HiLIFE Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Functional (un)cooperativity in elevator transport proteins. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:1047-1055. [PMID: 32573703 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The activity of enzymes is subject to regulation at multiple levels. Cooperativity, the interconnected behavior of active sites within a protein complex, directly affects protein activity. Cooperativity is a mode of regulation that requires neither extrinsic factors nor protein modifications. Instead, it allows enzymes themselves to modulate reaction rates. Cooperativity is an important regulatory mechanism in soluble proteins, but also examples of cooperative membrane proteins have been described. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on interprotomer cooperativity in elevator-type proteins, a class of membrane transporters characterized by large rigid-body movements perpendicular to the membrane, and highlight well-studied examples and experimental approaches.
Collapse
|
31
|
Arkhipova V, Guskov A, Slotboom DJ. Structural ensemble of a glutamate transporter homologue in lipid nanodisc environment. Nat Commun 2020; 11:998. [PMID: 32081874 PMCID: PMC7035293 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14834-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate transporters are cation-coupled secondary active membrane transporters that clear the neurotransmitter L-glutamate from the synaptic cleft. These transporters are homotrimers, with each protomer functioning independently by an elevator-type mechanism, in which a mobile transport domain alternates between inward- and outward-oriented states. Using single-particle cryo-EM we have determined five structures of the glutamate transporter homologue GltTk, a Na+- L-aspartate symporter, embedded in lipid nanodiscs. Dependent on the substrate concentrations used, the protomers of the trimer adopt a variety of asymmetrical conformations, consistent with the independent movement. Six of the 15 resolved protomers are in a hitherto elusive state of the transport cycle in which the inward-facing transporters are loaded with Na+ ions. These structures explain how substrate-leakage is prevented - a strict requirement for coupled transport. The belt protein of the lipid nanodiscs bends around the inward oriented protomers, suggesting that membrane deformations occur during transport.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Arkhipova
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Guskov
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands. .,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.
| | - Dirk J Slotboom
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute (GBB), University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands. .,Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Wang X, Boudker O. Large domain movements through the lipid bilayer mediate substrate release and inhibition of glutamate transporters. eLife 2020; 9:58417. [PMID: 33155546 PMCID: PMC7682989 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamate transporters are essential players in glutamatergic neurotransmission in the brain, where they maintain extracellular glutamate below cytotoxic levels and allow for rounds of transmission. The structural bases of their function are well established, particularly within a model archaeal homolog, sodium, and aspartate symporter GltPh. However, the mechanism of gating on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane remains ambiguous. We report Cryo-EM structures of GltPh reconstituted into nanodiscs, including those structurally constrained in the cytoplasm-facing state and either apo, bound to sodium ions only, substrate, or blockers. The structures show that both substrate translocation and release involve movements of the bulky transport domain through the lipid bilayer. They further reveal a novel mode of inhibitor binding and show how solutes release is coupled to protein conformational changes. Finally, we describe how domain movements are associated with the displacement of bound lipids and significant membrane deformations, highlighting the potential regulatory role of the bilayer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Olga Boudker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States,Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy ChaseUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Zhou W, Fiorin G, Anselmi C, Karimi-Varzaneh HA, Poblete H, Forrest LR, Faraldo-Gómez JD. Large-scale state-dependent membrane remodeling by a transporter protein. eLife 2019; 8:50576. [PMID: 31855177 PMCID: PMC6957315 DOI: 10.7554/elife.50576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
That channels and transporters can influence the membrane morphology is increasingly recognized. Less appreciated is that the extent and free-energy cost of these deformations likely varies among different functional states of a protein, and thus, that they might contribute significantly to defining its mechanism. We consider the trimeric Na+-aspartate symporter GltPh, a homolog of an important class of neurotransmitter transporters, whose mechanism entails one of the most drastic structural changes known. Molecular simulations indicate that when the protomers become inward-facing, they cause deep, long-ranged, and yet mutually-independent membrane deformations. Using a novel simulation methodology, we estimate that the free-energy cost of this membrane perturbation is in the order of 6–7 kcal/mol per protomer. Compensating free-energy contributions within the protein or its environment must thus stabilize this inward-facing conformation for the transporter to function. We discuss these striking results in the context of existing experimental observations for this and other transporters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenchang Zhou
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Giacomo Fiorin
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Claudio Anselmi
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Hossein Ali Karimi-Varzaneh
- Computational Structural Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Horacio Poblete
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Computational Structural Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Lucy R Forrest
- Computational Structural Biology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - José D Faraldo-Gómez
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| |
Collapse
|